Baseball teams scramble for early-season form

When the snows returned for one more encore last Tuesday, it again halted play for the area’s baseball teams, but most of them got in some game action before it got cold, and then had a lot to do once things warmed up again.

No win was as impressive as what Christian Brothers Academy pulled off in last Monday’s trip to Cortland, as it started fast, squandered a huge lead but managed to recover late to pull off a 10-9 victory over the defending Section III Class A champion Purple Tigers.

Determined to end things early, CBA erupted for seven runs in the top of the first inning. Yet by the end of the fourth inning, Cortland had closed the gap to 7-6, and after the Brothers got a run in the top of the fifth, the Purple Tigers scored twice and forged an 8-8 tie.

With bad weather imminent, CBA went back in front by notching a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Again, Cortland tried to come back, and pulled within a run, but Tom Benz, pitching in relief of Tim Pierret, managed to record the final outs and hang on.

Sam Little hit a home run for CBA and gained three RBIs. Benz doubled and drove in two runs, while Webb Little, Nick Capozzi and Conor Gollegly earned one RBI apiece. Cortland lost despite Victor McCutcheon’s three hits, three runs scored and two RBIs.

Jamesville-DeWitt was off to a 3-0 start before it hosted New Hartford last Monday afternoon and could not quite get its bats going in a 4-2 defeat to the Spartans.

A first-inning run didn’t hold up long, as New Hartford scored twice in the top of the second. They exchanged runs from there, J-D closing the gap to 3-2 in the sixth, but an insurance run in the top of the seventh helped the Spartans hang on.

Sam Crisalli struck out eight New Hartford batters in six innings of work, but still took the loss as Mike Sinopoli pitched in relief. Paul Fitzgibbons doubled and drove in both of J-D’s runs, which were scored by John Werbowsky, who managed a pair of hits. Mark Chanatry pitched six innings for the Spartans, holding the Rams to one run and earning the win.

J-D looked to bounce back Thursday, against ESM, but in this latest local showdown the Spartans would come up with the pitching gem as Greg Fingar shut out the Red Rams 2-0.

All that ESM would need came in the top of the first inning, when it tagged J-D pitcher Jake Binder for both of its runs, Fingar and Brandon Breen crossing the plate.

From that point on, except for Nick Cesarini’s pair of hits, the Spartans could do little as Binder, who went five innings, and Kyle Naugle, who tossed two innings of relief, combined for six strikeouts and just one walk allowed, plus four hits.

Crisalli matched Cesarini with two hits, but the rest of J-D’s lineup only got two hits against Fingar, who struck out eight and walked just one to earn an impressive complete-game victory.

ESM went from there to sweeping a Saturday twin bill with Fulton. The first game was a 13-1 romp, and though the second game went back and forth, the Spartans prevailed again, edging past the Red Raiders 8-7.

J-D, meanwhile, ended its skid with an emphatic 15-2 romp over Mexico, scoring five times in the bottom of the first and adding runs in each of the next four innings, too, as it took full advantage of six Tigers errors.

Xander Ferlenda, in particular, went off at the plate, smashing a home run and finishing with a career-best six RBIs. Jimmy Sinopoli scored three times and drove in three runs, while Alex Way had two hits and two RBIs. Fitzgibbons, Dylan McGee, Chris McGee and Tom Canfield also drove in runs. Chris McGee pitched four innings as he, Crisalli and Dylan McGee combined for 10 strikeouts.

CBA lost a 5-3 non-league decision to West Genesee on Saturday, a game where Sam Little’s two-run double helped the Brothers go in front 3-1 in the top of the third, only to see the Wildcats tie it in the bottom of the third and score twice in the fifth to move in front. Webb Little pitched four innings, striking out five.